Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of
Commerce & Industry has called upon the government to reduce taxes on furniture
industry in the forthcoming budget that would facilitate its better growth and enhance
exports. He said this while addressing a delegation of Islamabad Furniture
Association that visited ICCI led by its President Sheikh Javed Iqbal.
Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that global furniture market was worth of billions of
dollars, but Pakistan’s share in it was quite nominal and stressed that government
should develop furniture cities across the country that would promote this industry
and boost its exports. He assured that ICCI would cooperate with Islamabad
Furniture Association in resolving key issues of furniture businesses.

Speaking at the occasion, Sheikh Javed Iqbal, President and Ch. Khurram Aftab
Secretary General, Islamabad Furniture Association said that due to lack of
cooperation of CDA, problems of furniture sector were multiplying. They stressed
that CDA should allocate separate land in Islamabad for furniture businesses on the
pattern of Chiniot that would facilitate its better growth. They said that growth of
thousands of cottage industries was linked with furniture industry and if government
reduce taxes on furniture sector, this industry would grow fast and create plenty of
new jobs. They said that government was registering businesses having 1000 sq ft.
area in sales tax and emphasized that furniture businesses should be exempted
from this condition as they needed large area of space to keep furniture products.

Taj Abbasi, President Senior Vice President and Saif ur Rehman Khan Vice
President ICCI said that Pakistan has great potential to enhance exports of furniture
products, however, this sector needed government support to grow. They said that
furniture industry was the second largest industry of Pakistan after textile, but was
facing many problems. They that that 17% sales tax and 4.5% WHT on furniture
business should also be revised downward to ease its problems. They said that
government should provide support in introducing high-tech machinery and
establishing more training centers for skilled workers for furniture industry that would
accelerate growth of this important industry. Muhammad Aslam Khokhar, Khalid
Chaudhry, Malik Rab Nawaz, Naveed Malik and others also spoke at the occasion
and called upon the government to address key issues of furniture industry.